Electric alarm-clock



(No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet l. E. 1/1. EDGERTON. ELECTRIG ALARM CLOCK.

fue Nonms nuns co.. wow-mno., wnsuwaroN. n. c.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

E. M. EDGERTON.

ELECTRIC ALARM 01300K.

No. 448,325. Patented Mar. 17,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

EDWARD )HINSON EDGERTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC ALARM-CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N 0. 448,325, dated MfalCh 17, 1891.

Application filed November 2l, 1889. Serial No. 331,108. (No model.)

T0 all 10700111/ t 11mg/ concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD MUNsoN ED- G-ERTON, of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Alarm-Clocks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to that class of clocks in which, by an arrangement of certain devices beforehand, an alarm is struck at a given. time. My improvements, however, permit me, by establishing' an electrical connection, to sound an alarm as often as need be, at any time of day, with but once arranging a set of keys.

The invention is simple and eifective and will be of great value in colleges, academies, schools, and mercantile and manufacturing establishments.

In the d 'awings, Figure l represents a front elevation of a clock having myimprovements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a front vie'w with the dial of the clock removed. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the upper part of the same, and Fig. e is a detail view. Fig. 5 shows a diagrammatical view of my invention, illustrating its manner of connection in an electric circuit.

Referring to the drawings, A represents an ordinary clock, the hour-hand a and minutehand l) of which are actuated bythe ordinary clock-work B or other suitable motive power. Back of the dial c of the clock and concentric with the spindle or sleeve carrying the honrhand is an annulus or ring C, preferably made of vulcanized rubber or some other suitable non-conductive material. Ring C is preferably of such diameter that it surrounds and does not interfere with the clock-work, as shown, and it is provided with a series of radiating copper or metal strips (.71, which are preferably placed at equal intervals apart and are embedded in the ring l, so that their outer edges are on the same plane as the surn face of the ring adjacent to the dial. The inner end of each of these radiating strips d is secured by a screw e, preferably of copper, or comes in contact with said screw, which passes through said ring to its rear surface and has the wire E connected thereto.

F represents an arm which is secured to the arbor from which the hour-hand a projects, and which is of such a length as to extend out over the front surface of ring C. It has, preferably, a minute traveler-wheel f journaled in its end, that rests and travels upon the front surface of ring (l. I prefer to provide ring C with one hundred and forty-four strips (t, although any number desired can be used. Th us as the hour-hand revolves the arm F, through the medium of wheel f, comes in Contact with a strip (l every iive minutes.

Secured to and depending down from the clock, and preferably exposed to View, is an ordinary switch-board (i, with twelve hori- Zontal rows of twelve pairs of metallic switchpla-tes g, each properly separated and having a hole between them, so that a metal key 7L can be inserted therein, so as to connect the same. For convenience in locating these plates the left-hand plate of each row, commencing with the top one, is marked l 3 e 5 G 7 S i) l0 l1 l2, and the remaining plates of each row, commencing with the second on the left, are marked 5 l0 l5 2O 95 o0 40 45 5055, respectively.

New it will be observed that the arm I?, commencing at a point corresponding to the spot on the dial of the clock marked XIL will pass over twelve strips d before reaching a point corresponding to I on the dial. These twelve strips, commencing with the one radiating through the' point corresponding to XII on the dial, will consecutively be connected by suitable wire to the righthand half of each plate of the bottom row of plates g, marked I2 5 l0 l5, &c. from left to right, respectively. The twelve strips on the ring between the points thereon corresponding to the points marked I and II are similarly connected by wire to iirst row of plates, and so on. From the half of each plate g not connected to strip d I run a wire 7o to a unionwirc K, which leads to a shunt M, which can be oscillated so as to give a vibrating ring to an electric bell or just one stroke thereto.

In order to establish a circuit, I provide a battery H and connect the positive pole thereof by suitable wire to the clock-work or the hour-hand sleeve thereof. The current so provided is closed when the arm F comes in IOO contact with the strip d in the annulus,\vhich is connected with the contact-plates united by the key t. The circuit thus completed continues to the shunt M, through the Wires I or L, to the bell J, and from thence through the negative Wire O to the negative pole of the battery. The bell J is of the ordinary kind now in extensive use, which simply gives one ring` when the shunt M connects the union- Wire K to the Wire I or a vibrating ring When said shunt is moved so as to connect said union-Wire to the Wire L. The circuit thus established is open when the said arm F has passed the aforesaid strip d.

From What has been said it will be apparent that just as many alarms may be arranged for and given during the twelve hours which it takes the hour-hand to complete a revolution as desired.

Besides being valuable to give alarms directly connected with the clock, my invention could be used in hotels to ring an alarm at any time desired in any ot the rooms simply by having another switch-board With electrical connection leading therefrom to each room and connecting the keys of each switchboard.

Instead of having an arm F, any other suitable connection with the clock-Work enabling me to establish a connection with strips d nected to the same, of a series of insulatedmetal strips radially arranged around said arbor, with which said arm successively comes in contact, switch-board G, with one ot each pair of contact-plates of which said strips arranged around said arbor, with which said traveler as the arm revolves comes successively in contact, switch-board G,With one of each pair of contact-plates of which said strips are respectively connected, a key h, and an audible signal, as set forth.

3. The combination of a clock A, arm F,

projecting from and revolving with the arbor, a ring of non-conductive material, a series of metal strips embedded edgewisein said ring, with each of which said arm comes succes sively in contact as it revolves, screws passing through said ring' and establishing a contact with each strip, switch-board G, with one of each pair of contact-plates ot' which said strips are respectively connected, a key h, and an audible signal, as set forth. l

ll. The combination, with a clock A, an arm F, actuated by the hour-hand arbor thereof, and a battery connected to said clock, of a series of metallic strips with which` said arm comes successively in contact, arranged Witnesses:

FRANK D. THoMAsoN, CHAs. H. EVANS. 

